France alarmed after Trump 'practically hugged' Kim: Minister

PHOTO: AFP

PARIS - French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves le Drian criticised Donald Trump's "destabilising" foreign policy on Wednesday (Jun 13) after the US leader fell out with historic US allies then "practically hugged" North Korea's dictator in a matter of days.

Le Drian said Tuesday's historic summit between Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un was "an undoubted step forward", but he expressed concern about the US president's diplomatic manoeuvres.

"In the space of just a day you see President Trump attacking Mr Trudeau who is a historic ally, and you see President Trump breaking with his collective allies after the G7 meeting in Quebec, and the next day practically hugged a dictator born into a Communist dictatorship which just a few days ago he said he was completely opposed to," he said.

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"President Trump has decided to progressively dismantle the tools of multilateralism created after the last war. It is a period of uncertainty and risk ... America is shutting itself away in its fortress of power."

Trump's critics have seized on his warm embrace of Kim, days after a spectacular bust-up with G7 allies at a summit in Canada, as the latest sign of his rapport with autocrats.

Trump clashed badly with leaders of the G7's Western democracies over tariffs and accused Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of being "dishonest and weak" at a summit that ended in farce last weekend.